The Ebb of Time
by Dragosun
Summary: Years have past since Chihiro visited the Spirit world. Rumours spread of an evil tyrant rising beyond the horizon. A lonely girl, Huroko, is kidnapped by a vile beast from the human domain. What is the connection? Enjoy and review if possible
1. Chapter 1: Prologue to the End

**Author: Dragosun**

**Date: 28/10/05**

**Notes:If you have any queries you can mail me at I am currently in exams until 18/11/05 so if I don't get back to you or don't put up the next part of this story just get onto me and I'll try harder, but no promises. **

**Disclaimer:**

Everyone knows I don't own the rights to spirited away, and I could change my story to be still awesome and not include any part of Spirited Away but then I'd have to change section so...

I don't own the right to Spirited away...

There now no one can sue me and you all can enjoy a story inspired by Spirited Away. Onto the story…

**The Ebb of Time**

**Chapter 1: Prologue to the End**

_In the depths of a forgotten castle a lone boy trudges down a cold and dusty path. As he brushes away insect webs and the thin layer of mist that blankets his surroundings his sight doesn't avert from the darkness that consumes the end of the hallway. His eyes had adjusted to the black of the room to allow him to see but feet in front of him, and the walls to his sides. He begins to wonder how the inside of this place could be so desolate as if no soul had walked where he did now for eons. _

_He so vividly remembered looking down onto the citadel from the surrounding mountain tops. How it looked at first light, and again in the purple light, as the day died away, which matched the shimmering pearlescent coloured walls. It was not overly decorated, other than the colouring, yet the basic design seemed to compliment its beauty. As he had closed in on the towering structure, and walked across the small streams in the adjacent fields, the feeling he had experienced. He remembered how it had seemed to call to him, not allowing him to sleep until he was within its walls._

"_Uh…" Lost in his own chain of thought he had forgotten the injury inflicted upon him by the guardians of this place. Beads of sweat clung to his face, slowly dripping down his neck. His tattered white shirt clung to his torso, held in place by even more sweat. He clung to his arm as if to prevent it from falling off and joining the dust. Crimson blood seeped through his fingers leaving a definitive trail along the white marble floor. Ironic that if he chose to, he could use it to find his way out, but then he knew that there was no turning back. _

_Constantly scanning behind him for a hint of his pursuers, he took a breath of relief. Eyes where his only useful sense now, sight being blurred by the mixture of sweat and blood that traversed his face. His heart's pounding had become deafening, and his body had gone numb from a combination of the blood loss and air's icy touch. Yet he dared to hoped, maybe he had lost them. His thoughts betrayed him. As if a jinx on his behalf, the sound of footsteps and chatter echo above the silence in the distance._

_The frightened and injured boy, calming himself with all his will, surveyed his surroundings. He had been walking this path for over an hour, not stopping to even tie his wounds, and yet the surroundings gave no hint of an end. Now thinking about it, he didn't remember passing a single door or exit, the walls lined with nothing but cracks and ancient lamp's, whose fuel had long expired. Out of the shadows, but one hundred metres away, a figure seeped out of the shadows. Eyes of burning yellow light where now staring straight towards him, steeled with grim intent. The yellow orbs began to bob up and down, as the owner began to slowly walk forward. He had to keep moving._

_He continued down the hallway, still scanning behind him, unable to pry his eyed away from those of his pursuers. They seemed to have not yet noticed his presence, although they searched, or they would have picked up their pace by now. Minutes pass as he made his way down the path, now making sure to avoid the rubble from the roof and walls that littered the ground, fearing any noise would grab their attention. That was something he didn't want, not when he must be close to his target._

_The next few minutes drag on like a lifetime. He wondered if this was what it felt to be like on your deathbed, knowing the end was coming and struggling for just on more minute. With his eyes still fixed on the yellow eyes, which had seemed to get closer, he failed to notice that the architecture of the hall finally changed. The walls bland features had been replaced by groups of strange lines that intersected and diverged at a pattern only the creator could have seen. As if reacting to his presence, the lines begin to move, their pattern changing and intertwining with he groups adjacent to their own. The movement caught the young boy's eyes. The hairs on his neck began to rise as and ominous feeling washed over his entire being. The pattern instantly flared on revealing the entire hallway. With the cover of darkness gone, he had no cover from the beast that sought him. _

_His spirits lifted. Not twenty feet away, an intricate archway stood, surrounded by more of the patterns. The road to freedom. _

"_Finally, after two years of searching I'm nearly there" His voice barely made a whisper as he spoke. _

_Almost as if in reply, the guardians roared in his direction. Their forms had always been covered before this moment, now he could see what had chased him over the last hours. The guardian's forms reminded him of werewolves. Their entire body cloaked in coarse black fur, except their chests which showed nothing but flesh which hinted at well developed muscles. There mouths, protruding from the rest of their face, revealed sharp teeth, which he deducted, would be able to rip through an arm in a single motion. But what stood out most of all were their eyes, plain yellow orbs that sent chills up his spine._

_Not again, he thought to himself, as their attention averted to his presence. The beast erupted into a tremendous howl, throwing its head backwards, its arms extending outwards in an arc. Thick blades shot outwards from the forearms of the beast, ripping through its skin. It was armed and coming for him. He knew quite well that if it caught him before he could reach the archway it would all be over. He knew quite well that he didn't have enough strength left to stop the owner of those massive blades, now gleaming in the light. His pace quickened as he stumbled towards the arch, as if, to even turn and once again look into the eyes of the wolf-like guardian would surely spell his doom. _

"_Just another moment" His rasp voice reassured himself. He could feel it's breathing getting closer with every stride. Then unexpectedly, it was over. He was still being pursued but that no longer mattered. His eyes opened wider than they had for hours, and he stood tall as if he was miraculously healed of all his bodily wounds. Before him lay what he had searched for these last two years. He stepped beyond the archway, whose surface rippled as his fragile body stepped through._

"_I'm coming Chihiro"_

"Mom…"

Rain awoke to the soft sound of his best friend's voice, as he had many times as of late. He stood up out of his bed, an assortment of towels that Huroko, his friend, had laid next to her bed. With his keen sense of hearing he heard someone approach from beyond the oak door that separated the small room he was in from the rest of the world. Knowing it was time for her to awaken, he began to nudge her awake.

"Mom" The little girl repeated herself as the top of her smooth brown hair appeared from beneath the green bed covers. Her emerald eyes dimmed as she saw who she was talking to. She knew she shouldn't be disappointed seeing Rain, he was her most valued friend in the world, but she so desperately wanted to continue the dream she was having of her parents. They had died in a horrific car accident two years earlier and their voices were almost forgotten to her young ears. Rain nudged her again knowing that if he didn't, she would be day dreaming about them again when she needed to get ready for school.

There was a creak from the floor outside her room, followed immediately by a knock she had come to expect. She thought it was weird the way Mr Misaku knocked on her door at exactly the same time every school day, but then she had more important to think about this morning. After she had changed out of her sky blue night wear and into her school uniform she strolled over to Rain, who had taken it upon himself to rest in front of the doorway while he waited. Unexpected to him, she began to brush his coat down, a treat he got when she was in a pleasant mood. When she had finished they both strolled beyond the door into the hallway of the small apartment, heading towards the kitchen.

Side by side they both entered the small kitchen, where she was greeted by Mr Misaku. Compared to other men his age, he was quite a small man. His face was clean shaven, which matched the spots on his head in which his thin black hair has completely receded. His face bore a gentle smile which complimented his features. Nodding at Huroko to acknowledge her, he continued to eat his meal of oats. Huroko prepared her own bowl of oats, and when she had finished, sat down on the two seated table. Mr Misaku broke the silence.

"I'm going to give you a lift to and from school today Huroko. There has been talk of a storm later today and I don't want you to get caught in it."

"That's not fair; you know how much Rain hates cars!" Her pale face became brighter than the cloth on the breakfast table as she disapproved of Mr Misaku's judgement.

It took him a moment to realize his mistake. Today was the one day in the school year where the students where allowed to take their pets to school, he had forgotten.

"Then he'll have to stay at home. It would be better anyone, if he were to get caught out in the rain his arthritis would start playing up again."

Although he sounded like he was in charge, he knew quite well that he had lost this argument. It had been this way ever since he had adopted two years ago. She wasn't a spoilt child but she did care for her loyal husky, Rain, more than anything in the world. When it came to him she would fight to the end. He would never understand this concept, especially since Rain was the direct cause for her parent's death.

For the next ten minutes silence deafened the room, until eventually Mr Misaku folded. He just couldn't stand to have Huroko mad at him; they were all each other had left.

"Ok I give up, just make sure you come home quickly after school." He was rewarded with this comment by a smile and a grateful look from Rain. He truly wondered sometimes about Rain, as if he knew exactly what was happening around him.

When Huroko had finished eating she left the apartment and started to make her way towards school. She was quite lucky that all the children in her class were allowed to bring a pet from home this time of year. If it had been in the winter time not only would Rain have had to stay home due to his hip arthritis, but also she would have to trudge through a foot of snow until she got onto the street, as no one ever bothered to shovel the snow away from the door and steps of Mr Misaku's house.

After ten minutes of following the rays of light that lay on her path, she found herself at the front of the school. It was at this point that she kneeled down and attached a leash to Rains collar. She knew that Rain disliked leashes of any sort; this is why whenever they walked side by side he never wore one. She treated him more like a human than a pet. However, Rain wouldn't be allowed on the school premises without one. Surprisingly Rain allowed Huroko to do so without a fuss, as if he knew what was going on around him, but then he was always like that. It was this reason that Huroko felt such a bond with him, because he may be a dog but he always knew what she was thinking.

"Hey, Huroko is this Rain?" Huroko looked up to see the familiar face of Ms Kairi, her teacher. She knew Rain's name from all the stories that Huroko wrote in her spare time about adventures they would have together when they grow up.

"Ms Kairi, did you read my latest story on the Spirit World?" Huroko always wrote about different things and different people but always in the same setting. She had been intrigued by the Spirit World since she could remember, ever since her mother told her about it in a bedtime story. Her writing was just another thing to keep her close to her mother and so she shared them with only her closest friends.

"It was another fantastic read" She embellished "I'm waiting on your next one, but you better hurry and get to class before me or you'll be late."

The day started as it always did, she had Maths first and Spelling, the only exception was that she had the company of Rain, who was now lying asleep under her school desk. When the signal for lunch arrived, Huroko awoke Rain and they both proceeded outside onto the school playground. Huroko found a quiet spot for herself to sit, as she always did, so that she could continue her story.

Not long had passed before she was interrupted. A taller girl her age approached and before Huroko had noticed, snatched the writing pad from her hands.

"So what do we have here, squirt?"

"Give it back!" Huroko desperately fought for her beloved note pad, but to no avail. The girl was much larger than her. She had been in this situation many times before and never won easily.

Rain rolled over, disrupted once again from his peaceful sleep. Looking up he saw Huroko jumping up trying to reach her pad which now lie just beyond her reach, in the hands of a taller girl he didn't recognize. Rain instinctively sat up and barked at this new face, which had caused her to immediately stop tormenting Huroko.

"Oh, sorry Huroko, I didn't notice you _finally_ had a friend to talk to" The girl remarked sharply. She gave up and walked off, knowing her words had hit home.

Later that day it was Huroko's time to show off Rain to her classmates. Huroko slowly got out of here seat, accompanied by Rain and a glare from the taller girl hat had disturbed her lunch break. Just as Huroko began to speak, the long anticipated bell rung to signal the end of the school day. This didn't bother Huroko, now that she thought of it; she didn't want to share Rain with anybody in the classroom anyway, besides Ms Kairi.

The pair started the ten minute journey home, hoping that the clouds that had built up during the day would hold their contents just a while longer. Huroko often used this time to reminisce about new plots for an upcoming story and today was no exception. She found herself crashing to the concrete after tripping over her own shoelace, a trait she was renowned for at school. With as much dignity as she could muster she sat up and looked around, hoping no one saw the display that had played out on the footpath. A glint caught her eye, a photo on a half torn piece of paper.

"Another one missing." Huroko had half come to expect this. Over the few months six girls her age had gone missing around Japan. It made her wonder about picking up her pace and getting home faster, and not because of the storm. As if an omen, it began to rain heavily as soon as she stood up. Knowing she had only two blocks left until she would be at Mr Misaku's House, she started to run.

"Rrrrr…." Behind her she could hear Rain growling, and as she turned she noticed his ice blue eyes looking beyond his white facial hair to become fixated into an alley on her side of the street, teeth bared. She could see Rain's fur darken as the water soaked him. His chestnut brown coat turned dark brown and had it not been for the water running down his chestnut back and off his white stomach fur, it would have surely been standing up. In the back of the alley Huroko could now see what Rain had initially seen, a shadow twisting and writhing next to an industrial dumpster. The shadow then turned to face them, its shining eyes filled with greed, almost as if it was boring into Huroko's very soul.

"There you are…" It spoke directly into their minds in a deep and disturbing tone. Fear was pasted onto Huroko's face as the figure, still hidden by the darkness of the wet alley, began to contort and change shape. The figure leaped out of the alley, revealing itself as a large sabre-toothed cat with razor sharp teeth and claws to match. It would have reached the frightened Huroko in a single bound had Rain not valiantly intercepted the beast mid flight. It was however to no avail, even if Rain's arthritis wasn't slowing him down, due to the cold weather, he still wouldn't have matched the beast which was now 3 times his size.

He was quickly thrown aside by one of the beast's mighty claws and started walking towards Huroko, with steps that shook the very ground beneath her. She began to think at speeds comparable to computers, wondering how this could be and how nobody was nearby. Then she noticed why, the emergence of this beast had distorted the space around her. Cars where moving along at a snail pace on the road, and street side lamps where bending, among many other things. She also noticed faint images of what looked to be people phasing in and out of her surroundings.

But even then she wasn't fast enough. Before she knew it she was swept of her feet by the beast, which didn't seem to want to kill her, at least not yet anyway. She no longer had power over any of here motor functions, whether from fright or the tight grip the beast had her in she didn't know. The half formed people around her looked at her with sheer terror in there faces. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was her best and most loyal friend, Rain, staggering from his injury, his breaths shallow and rasp, chasing the beast in an effort to save her.


	2. Chapter 2: Death and Rebirth

**Chapter 2: Death and Rebirth**

_Bellows of thunder could be heard across the land, and with it flashes of light streaked across the night sky. A mighty wind ripped over the land, uprooting trees with its force. In the middle of an otherwise empty field two figures stood, facing each other, in the mighty wind. One figure was that of a lady, with features that would indicate she had been in existence for a long time. She wore nothing but a thin coat hung over an otherwise bland pair of dark pants and an equally dark jacket. This was all she had to keep back the icy wind. Across from her stood a tall yet oddly disfigured man, who seemed to convulse with every breath. Scars were abundant on his face; most notable were the two that stretched from his lower jaw, disappearing down his neck. The small areas on his face that weren't taken up already were covered in what seemed to be tattooed in strange runes. His long jet black hair, barely visible in the nights light, flowed in the wind. Unlike the lady this man wore nothing but a bloodstained and torn shirt accompanied with black pants that matched. His eyes, which seemed like endless pools of darkness, were fixated on the lady, and her eyes were on his._

"_Hello again Yubaba" It was minutes until either spoke to the other but when the man eventually did, it was accompanied by the howling in the wind, as if the wind spoke for him, his mouth had not moved at all. Her eyes averted from his, surveying the surroundings, as if expecting something._

"_I was wondering when you'd show up" The lady yelled above the deafening wind. "I was quite honestly getting bored waiting. Especially since I've heard so much about you, but where are your pets. Did you finally get sick of me sending them to the underworld?"_

_She stood tall before the man. It was obvious from her face however, that Yubaba, despite her cool composure, was indeed very frightened by her companion. Sweat began to form on her forehead, her heart wanting to leap forth from her throat. She wrapped her cloak around herself tighter, as if the wind was eating into her bones. _

"_Well, I hope I can live up to your expectations." A smirk made its way to his face, and if possible, made him more menacing then before. "Somehow I think I will." _

_Before he finished his sentence, his figure blurred, and then he stood face to face with Yubaba. Overwhelming fear coursed through Yubaba's mind, followed by an equally powerful sense of desperation. She knew this was a battle she couldn't win. Despite that she thrust her hands, palms open, into the man's chest, on contact a wave of light rippled outwards. The disfigured man was sent flying by a force thousands of times greater than that of which Yubaba had used. She allowed herself to hope as her foe was helplessly thrown through the air, but it didn't last long._

"_My turn…" On cue, lightning cracked, and with it the man froze in mid flight. Hovering in the air, he let out a horrific laugh, causing the surrounding trees to splinter. Another bolt of lightning shot from the sky, an in an instant he moved. In the time it took Yubaba to comprehend what she had seen, he lunged at her and in a single motion drove his fist into her stomach. _

"_Someone has to exterminate you. You're nothing but a parasite feeding of the pain of all you see" Again the wind howled, this time however it was followed by a tearing noise, as if the wind itself was screaming in delight._

"_Die hag, your life expired the moment you betrayed me" This time however his mouth moved, but not as a result of his speech. His face began to contort, faster and faster, as if feeding of Yubaba's fear and pain. She could feel his hand inside her now, pulsating with power. He lifted her till her feet dangled helplessly in the air, sending more pain through her tiny frame._

_By some form of dark wizardry, not a single drop of blood seeped out of the newly created wound. The disfigured man withdrew his arm and in synch with this motion Yubaba's body began to implode, until there was nothing left but a small ball of light. He grabbed the light with his right hand, its brilliance fading into a black void before flowing into his hand. Streams of energy shot through his entire being, sending him into a trance, his dark eyes focusing into the distance. Every fibre of his being screamed at the power it was feeding on. The runes on his skin flared with light, swirling into unimaginable displays of beauty and magnificence. His form became almost ethereal, only the light from his skin being completely whole, then his body shifted, altering until it joined his skin in a blinding light. After some time, the light faded, until it was as though it was never there, the night as dark as had been previously. Standing now in the field, where once was a scarred and disfigured man, stood the peak of life. His now blonde hair calmly flowed down his back, his skin unmarked save from that of the tattoos. Eyes that shone blue, with the passion of life, now focused. The now breathtaking man took a step back throwing Yubaba's cloak, still in his grip, into the savage wind. As the cloak floated off into the distance the man turned and began to walk in the opposite direction._

_Not too far away, poking over the horizon, an enormous building began to crumble and fall apart. The massive slabs of wood and concrete came crashing down, hitting the ground with tremendous amounts force that shook the very foundations of the world. The wind howled once more and with it the screams of what would seem like all the spirits in existence was carried over the field and into the world._

_Later that night, when the wind had died out and the screams had dissipated, a lone voice echoed across the empty battlefield, the last words of the deceased sorceress. They had lingered around since the encounter, as though she couldn't rest without them being spoken._

"_It was not I who betrayed you, you betrayed yourself"_

Sweat rolled from the face of a stranger that lay alone on an undersized wooden bed. His heart raced as his weight shifted from side to side, causing the small bed to creak under his weight. Dreams of past times, in many past lives, raced through his mind amidst a nightmare. Across the room a light flickered on showing off the inside of the small hut which he laid. The under furnished hut held nothing but a wall decorated with pictures of past times, a small kitchen, a plain chipboard cupboard and, of course, the small bed. Its walls were bare, except for the pictures, left in the state from which they were plucked from the forest. The oaken door swung open, letting a cool breeze into the room, which, when touching the man that slept, awoke him from his slumber. Without a second thought, the man wiped his drowsy eyes, and moved into an upright position so that he could survey his surroundings.

As if struck, his body jolted into a state of alertness. His eyes ceased scanning the room, and lowered to his hands, which he now held, palms upwards, at chest height. His eyes trailed down his light hairless arms, to his similarly hairless, yet well defined chest. Slowly he lifted the white sheets that hid his legs from his sight, his heart racing faster than it ever had before. As he had expected, somehow, there were his legs. They were also hairless, also well defined with sharp lines that showed athletic muscles. To follow this display he let out a terrible howling noise, almost a scream yet it lacked the fear, or anger. His voice was filled with confusion and sorrow.

"Ah, so you're awake." He voice came from a small framed lady, although it seemed as if the gods had made a mistake when measuring her proportions. Her hips gave away the location of what could be only tiny legs, with arms to match. Her body and face however, were very large in comparison, making him wonder how she ever stood upright. She wore simple clothes; a black jacket buttoned over a white undershirt and equally black pants. Her hair was long and silver, resting on her back, which reinforced the fine lines under her eyes. She spoke in the gentlest voice his ears had ever heard.

"Don't be alarmed." Her words reassured him, while he tried to stand up. He began to stumble across the room, as if inflicted with a grave injury, only to land with his face into the floor. He began to scratch at the floor, twisting and turning, trying to right himself so that he could reach her.

"What'd you do to me?" Although his words didn't form properly, his words lashed out with their intent; a threat.

"What was that? You're going to have to talk up my dear. I'm an old lady and I have trouble hearing at the best of times." She toyed with the man, still writhing on her floor. "Now say it again so I can hear you."

With the wave of her hand, he man was sitting upright, his mouth involuntarily moving following the directions she gave them.

"I wish to know what you have done to me."

"Now Rain, that wasn't so very hard, was it?" She was quite satisfied by the way she had handled the situation. "Your turn I think."

Rain pondered the situation, letting his anger fade until it was no more, replace now with curiosity. He had better play this one safe, he convinced himself, who know what else she could do. Still however he was left with a dilemma, on two occasions now he has talked, like a human, and he even looked like one.

"When you're ready, you can ask me again. Then I will answer you."

Rain's thoughts raced through his mind, how could this be possible, who was she, did she do this to him, how was he able to talk like a human?

_How was he able to talk like a human?_ He had unknowingly spoken again.

"Now that's a good boy and a good question too." She seemed even more pleased as the minutes of Rain's torture rolled by. "It's quite simple; you can talk because you can. You have the voice. The only thing holding you back is yourself, and the doubt in your mind that tells you otherwise."

For a moment he absorbed what she had said. She was right, h had spoken multiple times over he last minutes alone, what she had done he didn't know, but he had spoken by himself, with his mouth and tongue. Calming his mind, he enforced this though over and over until he had convinced himself of its entirety. Slowly he formulated another question.

"How did I come to be in this form? Did you have something to do with this?"

"Yet another good question. Before I continue however, I think I should at least introduce myself. My name is Zeniba, and yes, you could say I had something to do with your new form." She stalled a moment before continuing. "I found you outside in the woods, but a week ago, you body tattered and close to death. So I brought you here where I have helped you recover. You body was inflicted with a wound I could not heal, a wound from some dark magic, so I altered you body around it, so that you may heal. For the better I think, soon you will be able to move about as if you were born this way. My gift to you, my new friend" Rain knew that there was more to this than she was letting on, it was in his nature to mistrust strangers.

She pointed down at the floor, his eyes unwillingly followed. It was surprisingly well polished, and in it's reflection he saw his new face, his ice blue eyes stared back at him. His features had drastically changed. He was now a man, although still in his late teens, his fur replaced with a head of long silver hair, still the colour it had always been. It flowed down his back, reminding him of the way Huroko's hair had been when he nuzzled close to her. He stared for a moment longer; maybe this wouldn't be so bad? His mind reeled back to its previous thought.

"I was with a girl, younger than you or me, did you also find her?" He dared to hope, knowing he shouldn't have asked when Zeniba's face turned grim.

"Care for some tea?" She quickly regained composure, and was avoiding the question.

"What do you know?"

"Drink up and I will tell you more."

He didn't argue, knowing it would be better on her terms than if he had jumped down her throat, as long as she told him. It wasn't as if he could do anything at the moment anyway, he could barely talk, and he wasn't sure if he was up to walking again. She quickly ducked into the kitchen, returning when she had in her possession two cups of herbal tea. Wearing a smile, she gave one to him, still sitting on the polished floor, and then returned to her seat by the small round table.

"Many years have I lived here in relative peace" She began. "But lately it has not been so. Many stories I have heard on the winds about foul comings in this world, and I believe your child friend may be involved. It all started a while back, just over two years ago I believe. A small human girl was found at the edge of the spirit world by my sister Yubaba."

The spirit world. Could it be the same as in Huroko's writing books, the ones she read him every night since he could remember? Maybe this was no coincidence. His thoughts left Zeniba's speech, and began to wander.

"Ahem….are you listening Rain" She glared at him. "Listen and I will get to her." His focus regained she continued her tale. "As I was saying, after this human girl was sent home by my sister Yubaba, strange things started happening. Whole villages being burned to the ground in the middle of the night, great spirits who had protected us since the beginning of time began to wreak havoc throughout the land. It was getting worse and worse. Then recently, an unknown man attacked my sister, killing her. That's no easy deed mind you. Anyway, ever since the attacks have become more frequent. Demons, not _dark_ spirits, have infested the countryside to the north, invading anyone nearby. And of course, the barriers between the human world and our own, has weakened. Normally only my sister could bring humans into this domain, and that was through the use of an ancient site she had found during her life, and only a few at a time, once in many years. Lately however, the winds whisper, of many such children appearing. An ill omen indeed."

"So you believe she is out in this world somewhere." He was sceptical, but it was all he had.

"No."

"Then what was the point of all of that."

"I believe he has her, the man behind the cause of all of this. She was taken from you wasn't she, I can read it in you eyes, and judging by those wounds you had, it must have been him, or one of his demonic pets. His reason is beyond me, but that would be my guess."

Rain didn't need to think it over, she was all there was in his world.

"Who can I get to him?"

"Weren't you listening foolish dog? He has power enough to kill you in a blink of an eye, and the corrupted mind and soul to back it up. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"There is always a chance." Rain rose to his feet, towering over Zeniba, who was still sitting, sipping her tea. "And if you don't wish to tell me, then I will find out for myself."

"Well, now, it seems you have taken the first step." She referred to his newfound ability to stand on two feet. Her mouth turned upwards into a wide smile. "Fine, finish your tea and get some sleep, in the morning I shall lead you in the right direction, you will need your strength where you're going."

Rain did as she requested, finishing his now lukewarm tea in one gulp, then lying down in the very bed he had awoken in. As he lay in the darkness of the small cottage, his mind trying to comprehend what he had heard. It would snatch small handfuls of thoughts only to let them go the instant before an answer became apparent. As his thought grew sluggish and weary, finally allowing him to drift into sleep, he began to dream of Huroko, and what had passed between them this last week. He dreamt he was home in the warmth of the little bed of pillows and sheets Huroko made for him in her room. That smile that found its way to her face whenever she was happy. Good times…

_Wake up!_

Rain awoke to the sound of light rain landing on the roof above him. The air was fresh and cool, whilst his face was sweating for a reason unbeknownst to him. He pondered what could have woken him up from such a gentle sleep, and in the middle of the night. The full moon still shone brightly through the small four pane window onto the bed. It was not long before the door to the small cottage was forced open with great haste and Zeniba scuttled in. Her lips were a pale white, and her skin was damp with a mixture of rain and sweat that covered her large forehead. It looked as if she had seen a ghost, her normal collected exterior replaced with a look of fear.

"Rain get up this instance. We are in danger! He must have found us. Quickly now there's no time."

Rain saw what she referred to. Behind her, standing but one hundred metres away in the rain stood a congregation of humanoid figures. It was possible to see through each one, seeing the next one behind. The group of unearthly shadows stretched as far as he could see in all directions. The only thing solid on each one was the darkened claws they wielded from the ends of what seemed to be over extended arms. Their bodies consisted of angles that shouldn't exist in any living creature, with ribs jutting out in all directions, and spines sharply protruding from their backs. As if to answer some question not yet formulated in the back of Rain's mind, they synchronously clawed at the path that they blocked. A terrible screeched filled the air as they howled in unison, revealing equally darkened sets of razor like teeth. A cold wind began to blow. Each shadow began to deform, parts of them breaking off and merging with the one beside it. Rain could even see the faces off humans, screaming in agony, reflected in the eyes of these horrid fiends.

"He must be getting more powerful, to have seen through my enchantments. Rain listen well, I'll distract these spirits, take this and flee. Head east to a small village; you should be relatively safe there"

He wanted to respond, in some way, in any way, but the words wouldn't come. Held back by a wave of fear that seemed to seep across the field from the pack of monsters. A small silver chain with an odd looking orb on the end, materialized around his neck. To add to this spectacle, this was followed by a crimson red cloak, covered in strange symbols, which stretched from his shoulders down to the floor.

"A goodbye present, know go."

The first strike of lightning for the night came down in the middle of the pack of fiends, and as if a cue from their lord, the mob began to move. Rain's refused to move, there was no way he was going to leave her after she had been so kind to him, besides he needed her help in finding Huroko. The mob surged forward like a ferocious wave, the front row now running at incomparable speeds closing the distance in an instance. It wasn't until they were but inches from Zeniba before she herself moved, and with the slightest flick of her wrist they were sent airborne back to their brethren.

_GO!_

Her voice echoed through Rain's mind, almost throwing him off his feet. He started to retreat back past the small cottage, glancing back every few seconds. After what seemed an immeasurable time the second wave approached. This time they attacked in force, innumerable amounts pouring into the valley the cottage was situated in, filling the gaps left by those making their way towards the old lady. Rain dared not to take another glimpse, until, out of the darkness, came Zeniba's muffled cries. Rain turned, fighting his instinct to run, to find that they had taken Zeniba to the ground, and were now circling her. They taunted her, feeding off her fear. The look on Zeniba's face told Rain that she couldn't do anything, not in the state she was in now. One of the shadows stepped forward, showing dominance over the others. This one was different, apart from being slightly taller he held a ward in his hand which, as he approached, made Zeniba scream in agony. Instantly one of the smaller shadows drove his claws into Zeniba's stomach, pinning her small frame to the ground.

Rains mind reeled, what could he do to aid her. The answer came, as if taunting him as they taunted her, nothing. Rain couldn't stand feeling useless any longer, in a moment of instinct he dropped his head low, and ran head first into the pack. With all his new found might he pushed his way through the unsuspecting shadows, and delivered a mighty right closed right hand to the jaw of the greater wraith.

"Foolish woman, to rely on the strength of such a weak man." As it threw Rain aside with ease, its jaw began to warp back to its original place. Its arm had parted him with that motion, still locked onto Rain's body, yet another formed within an instant.

"Ha…smile while you can." Zeniba motion once again, and the spirit pinning her to the ground vanished. Lady luck was on their side, the shadow unaware that during Rain's assault, his ward slipped from his hand, floating down to lay at Rain's feet. Rain had unknowingly disarmed the greater shadow from his charm. Zeniba still knew she couldn't win, even with her powers slowly coming back; she was already losing massive amounts of blood from the wounds in her stomach. Her face calmed as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

The dominant shadow backed off, realising his mistake, then signalled for the pack to attack. A massive wave of foes came, hundreds on the ground surrounding the two and hundreds more already in the air plunging downwards over the tops of their grounded allies.

_You will finish it Rain._

With those words flowing through Rain's mind, Zeniba motioned once more. Her body began to fade until it was almost completely transparent, then in a move neither Rain nor the fiends predicted; a blinding light expelled itself from her body. It instantaneously encircled Rain, forcing itself into his body through his skin, causing even more light to spew forth from the scene. As quickly as it had appeared, the light had completely vanished, along with Rain.

_One last present…_

Miles away, in a land unfamiliar to him, Rain opened his eyes. The only things surrounding him now were the mountains that lined the horizon and the old oaken trees that housed the most beautiful birds. They broke into the sweetest melody as the morning sun revealed itself over the mountain tops. As he stood up he felt the most familiar warmth in his chest.

A wave of relief washed over him as he contemplated the events of the night that had passed. How did he survive, and what did Yubaba do that had saved him, again. It wasn't long before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching. Rain focused his eyes north. Just beyond the tree line he could see a man. The man stood a foot taller than Rain, which was tall by anyone's standards. His clean shaven face giving way to no expression. His hair was brown and unruly, and his plain brown clothes indicated that he was a commoner.

Dark brown eyes stared back, meeting Rains with the intensity to fell an ox.

"Over here Geriko!" The man obviously directed his words at a yet to be seen companion. "I found another, quickly".

Rain knew that the man spoke of him, but couldn't bring himself to act. He thought of fleeing the scene, but where would he go? Even if he wanted to, his legs no longer belonged to him. The day before had been rough on him, and without proper sleep and food, he had no energy left to run. The man's companion strolled out from behind an old and half burnt oak tree, drawing a sword from the worn out hilt by his waist. It glinted in the light, blinding Rain with its intent.

_Wait! _Again his voice faded into his mind, uncontrollably. How was he to fend himself, unarmed, without even the power of words? The man quickly bridge the gap between them, and in a moment lifted the sword high, intending on cleaving Rain's skull in two. It came crashing down, sending shockwaves of pain coursing throughout Rain's limp body.

"Now you didn't have to do that, Geriko. I see were you get your reputation from."

Rain faded into darkness, thinking only of Huroko. It was over.


End file.
